To the Ends of the Earth
by EvrDeadly
Summary: SasuSaku. Death, love, getting through life.


I do not own any characters in the Naruto series

**I do not own any characters in the Naruto series. That includes the manga.**

"I'll never let you go." That is what he kept saying. Over and over, "Please, stay with me. Don't go. Please."

Then, he broke. He began sobbing and crying over me, "Please, I love you. Don't go. I'll make it right. Don't leave me."

His broken sentences made me smile, even if they weren't supposed to. They let me know that he cared, even if he didn't show it. I groaned and forced my eyes open. They immediately began to rim with tears as I looked at his panicked and pain-struck face, "S-sasuke, I'm sorry. I love y-you too, but i-its too l-late. Had you v-voiced your f-feelings sooner, m-maybe we could've had more t-time."

He shook his head violently, stray tears spraying from the Uchiha's face. "No," he yelled. "You'll live! I'll make sure! You'll live, and I'll kill him. I don't care if he's your friend! Friends don't kill each other! I'll kill him, though. I-i love you too much to let you go like this." He became increasingly quiet during his outburst, until his final sentence was barely spoken aloud.

I smiled at his determination, but shook my head sadly. "Naruto didn't mean to. Forgive him, and help each other heal. My spirit will forever be with you both. I love you, Sasuke." He nodded, and I gave him one last smile before I allowed myself to succumb to the new darkness of death.

Obviously your senses last longer than vital organs because as I felt my self go limp, and I heard Sasuke's anguished cry. I felt him jerk me to him, and away from another presence, and I smelled his familiar cologne mixed with scent of blood. _I'm so sorry Sasuke. You always seem to lose so much more than others. It is unfair, and I only wish I could change that. I love you._

XXXXX

I was forced to relinquish my hold on Sakura to Kakashi. Originally, Naruto had tried to take her from me, but he was the cause of her death. He would never be allowed to touch her again. I would allow him to look at her ocasionally, but only from a distance.

He had lost control, not me. Why? Because Hinata had been mildly cut up by Orochimaru. He unleashed Kyuubi and killed him, but attacked me when I was tending to Hinata. I didn't notice until Sakura had screamed. I whipped around to face him, but Sakura had already taken the attack for me. Naruto was restrained by the others on Hinata's team, and Kakashi. He realised what was happening as they screamed for him to stop, and snapped out of it when he heard my uncharacteristic pleading with her to live. I became desperate and stupid as I admitted my love to her. She said she returned the feelings, and asked me to forgive Naruto. That he hadn't meant to do it.

If he can't control it, don't let him unleash it! Forgive him? Yeah, after I punch his face in! I took in a ragged breath in an attempt to calm myself, and stood next to Kakashi. I gently brushed a stray hair from Sakura's face and whispered to her, "I love you, Sakura." Looking to Kakashi, I told him, "Please, take her to Lady Tsunade. She should be able to think of a way to revive her." He nodded and took off back to Konoha.

I felt a hand on my shoulder turning, I found Naruto. "I'm really sorry, Sasuke. Really, I am."

I shrugged off his hand and turned to face him fully. He was crying. "Why are you crying?" I asked him.

"Because, Sakura is dead."

"Do know why she is dead?" I asked in an, I guess, eerily calm voice.

He thought for a moment, but shook his head unsurely, "N-no, noone has told me."

I snorted, "You havn't asked, stupid. Do know why noone has looked at you directly yet? Or made eye contact?" He shook his head, no. My voice escalated so I was yelling at him and poking him in the chest hard enough to make him back up a few steps each time. "Because you killed her! You killed Sakura! You took her away from me, from everyone!"

I prepared to punch him, until I was restrained by the other chuunin. "Don't Sasuke! Sakura asked to forgive him! You got what you had to say off your chest, now let it go!"

I fought against them, "No! He took my Sakura away from me! I won't forgive him for that!"

"Sakura said no." That sentence was enough.

I collapsed to the ground. Still looking to the ground in front of me I spoke, "I'm sorry, Naruto. I didn't mean all of the harsh words, but you don't understand the pain I'm in right now. Until I aproach you calmly, I advise you stay away from me and Sakura's...body." I looked up, and Naruto nodded, "Thank you."

That settled, we all headed back to Konoha. Me in the lead, and Naruto trailing behind the rest of us. Hinata stayed near him, just in case.

"Three weeks!" I exclaimed as I slammed my tea cup down on the table.

"Calm down, Sasuke," Ino said, putting a hand on my arm, "I'm sure Sakura is fine, and they are just letting here recuperate."

I shrugged off her hand, "If that was the case, I'd be allowed to see her. I don't like this." Kiba nodded and Akamaru sat near my leg, whining. For a dog, he was oddly open and caring to people other than his owner.

The conversation continued on this point, and I wondered why Naruto was allowed in the same room as her. When I wasn't even allowed to look at her! He killed her, not me.

Just then, Naruto entered the restraunt that the rest of us, the 'rookie nine,' and Neji's team ate. He appraoched us carefully, and Hinata rose to give him a hug. He pulled away from her and adressed me. "She's stable, Sasuke. You should be allowed to see her now. So should everyone else, but they just said you for sure."

"Thank you, Naruto." He nodded before eating a few bowls of ramen and leaving to recuperate by himself at home.

I entered the hospital, and was immediately escorted to her room. She had a bandage around her torso, and was sleeping peacefully. I thanked the nurse and closed the door after her. Walking around the bed, I noticed the steady beep of the heart monitor and pulled up a chair.

I sat down next to her bed, on the far side of the room from the door. Grasping her right hand in mine, I soon found myself asleep by her bedside.

XXXXX

I was dead. I had died. That much, I knew. I had felt my heart stop in my chest! I heard Sasuke promise to avenge me, and, later to aid the one that had killed me, although unintentionally. Yet, after that, I opened my eyes to a room decked out in white.

The bed I rested in wasn't built for comfort, but view-ability. There was also a continual _beep_-ing sound. To my left was the heart monitor, the source of the never-ending sound. At the foot of my bed was a bench, and on the wall was a small divided whiteboard. Most likely for the nurses and doctors to know which medications I was to be given, and when. My IV was to my right, exactly oposite to the heart moniter. I stared, captivated in the rythm of the even dripping of the liquid food, for a minute. Against the wall parallel to the right side of the bed was wall that held one chair on one side of a large window, and the other chair was...missing.

I dismissed the mystery of the missing chair, and noticed the odd difference in warmth on one side of me. Turning my head, I found the slumped figure of a person with black hair, and a black jumpsuit. Their left arm rested on the edge of my bed, and their head on that. Their face was turned away from me, though I had a pretty good idea of who it was. Their right hand gripped mine tightly, and I smiled. They obviously cared about me, whoever they were.

I gently squeezed their hand, and they began to awake. Turning their head to face me, I was at a loss for words, even if it was who I expected. I brought myself to an upright position, and they were next to me, hepling me up, in an instant. Once I was settled in my new position, they retreated back to the bedside chair.

We stared at each other for what seemed and eternity, before I breathed one name into the emptiness of the room. "Sasuke."

He was on the edge of my bed, crushing me to him in a second, sighing into my hair and whispering apologies of how he wasn't there before. My arms worked and wormed until they were behind him, and I was digging my nails into his shoulders as I cryed into him, trying to hold him closer to me. He kept apologizing for something he couldn't help, and I got fed up with it.

"Shut up." I sighed to him, "Just shut up. I'm alive, and you're here now. What else could've possibly make this moment happier for me, other than you?"

Again, I was in his full embrace, and whispered one sentence in my ear before he pulled away from me and the rest of my friends entered my room with presents and flowers. I greeted them all, and giggled at how Akamaru and Pakkun were duking it out for dominence on my lap.

Ino was very talkative, which was only fueled when she noticed how my eyes misted over when she brought up Sasuke as a subject. That was until Sasuke nearly dragged her out of the way before settling down next to me on the bed, and drawing me against his chest so my back rested against his chest. Since only our torsos overlapped, Pakkun claimed Sasuke's lap, and Akamaru mine.

Ino went off and sulked in a corner at the attention Sasuke was giving me. If only she had heard Sasuke's confession of love to me!

I yawned as Kiba and Chouji finished explaining the happenings in Konoha during my extended sleep. Sasuke released his hold on me so he could begin ushering people out of the door. After they had all left, he returned and gave me a shy kiss on the cheek, and whispered, "Remember, I'd go to the ends of the earth for you."

I nodded and smiled up at him as he lied me down and tucked me in. "I love you, Sasuke," I whispered as he stopped at the door and smriked as he flipped off the lights.

I gasped as his voice was beside me, "I love you too."

"A-are you staying here?" I asked shyly into the dark.

"Yes," came his nonchalant reply.

"Okay...See you in the morning."

"Hn."

I smiled and relunctantly allowed myself to succumb to sleep.

XXXXX

I felt something squeez my hand, and I began to wake up. Had I actually stayed the night at the hospital?

Apparently so, since I met emerald green eyes. I let go of her hand and sat back in the chair I fell asleep in. We sat, well I sat as she layed down, staring at each other.

Then, she struggled to sit up, and before I could think, I was helping her to sit up. I returned to my seat. She looked at me as if I was a stranger in her room, and she had no idea who I was. Was it possible that she didn't remember me? No, because just as that thought crossed my mind, she whispered my name.

I rushed to her and clutched her to me. _I am so sorry I couldn't be here sooner, Sakura._

One in the morning!

Two in the morning!

Three!

I had been waking up every hoursince Sakura had fallen asleep. I couldn't take it, so at five in the morning, I rose quietly from the chair and layed on the bed with Sakura. She sighed in her sleep as I pulled her back against my chest as I turned to lie on my left side.

She faced away from me when I fell asleep, but was clutched to my shirt (if you could call it that) and had her face buried in my chest when I woke up. I held her a little tighter, not wanting to ever have to let go of her again.

Then, she woke up, and look up confusedly at me. "Sasuke?" I smirked. She began to smile before the realisation of something flashed on her face, and her face paled as her eyes bugged out. "Oh, no!"

We sat up simultaneously, and I gripped her shoulders, "What?"

She looked back to me. "You. We. Bed."

"No, I couldn't sleep on those stupid chairs, and I figured I'd sleep here, since you seemed happy enough earlier yesterday."

She calmed down visibly, before panicking again, "We did we. I mean you, or I, and..."

Now, my eyes widened. Who did she think I was, my brother? "No! Of course not!" We sighed in releif in unison, and I rose from the bed completely. I slid on my shoes and stuck my hands in my pockets. "I'll be back a little later, 'kay?"

She paled again, "Why are you leaving?"

"To take a shower and get a change of clothes, why?"

She blushed, "Just wondering."

I started to leave.

"Could you pick me up a few changes of clothes, too?"

Now I blushed. That included undergarments! She seemed to understand my hesitation, and changed the request, "Actually, if you see Hinata, just ask her to, okay? If not, it's okay, they'll probably give me a new dress!"

I nodded and left at a quickened pace.

XXXXX

"He saved me, Hinata." I said as I dressed in the bathroom in my hospital room. "Well, I know that he didn't physically save me, but he found someone who found a way to save me." I exited the bathroom to see her sitting on the bed, "And I know for sur that he loves me now!"

Hinata nodded and stood from the bed, "Yeah, me and Naruto aren't doing too bad either. I learned how to make ramen from scratch last week!"

I watched in the mirror as she circled me, fixing invisible flaws in my outfit. "Is that all Naruto does: eat ramen?"

Hinata giggled, "No! You think I'd be going out with him if he did? He likes just hanging out, and he's taking me to the festival tonight!"

"Fun! I'm jealous. Geez, as fun as it is, I'm getting kinda bored spending all of my time here with Sasuke. I'd much rather be able to leave here and spend all my time with Sasuke!"

"I know what you mean. Well, you look great, and I have to go! Bye!!"

I waved to her as she left the room. I had been relocated, and didn't need the IV or heart moniter anymore. The doctors kept me in the small apartment-sized room to make sure that I had healed properly and stuff like that. I sighed and sat on the bed. The room came with a great view of the city, too bad I couldn't go out! Two more weeks had passed since I woke up, and I still have another month left before they'll even think about letting me out.

There was faint knock at the door, and Sasuke entered. I turned to look at him and smile before turning back to the window. I felt him come up behind me, and wrap his arms around my waist as he kissed my neck. "Hey. Kakashi ended training late today, sorry."

I snorted, "Don't apologize, it isn't you fault. Hinata just left, anyways."

He continued to kiss and nuzzle my nack, "Oh? How is she?"

"Good." I giggled as he inhaled my scent, "Stop that."

He pulled his head away, "Aww, I'm hurt, Sakura." I said nothing. He turned me to face him, and I turned my head away from him. "What's wrong?"

I sighed, "You can go wherever you want to, whenever you want to. I'm confined to this stupid room all day!" I looked up at him, and he looked away. "I'm not angry at you for that, I just want to ge out of here and get some fresh air."

"Hold on a sec." Sasuke wen over to bag that he had brought with him, and took out a mini-kimono. "Here, see if this fits. The peeps at the desk said thatI could take you out today."

I took the kimono and that bag, and hugged him, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Sasuke-kun!" And I skipped into the bathroom to change.

XXXXX

"I have to go, Kakashi-sensei!" I pleaded with him.

He raised his visible eyebrow, "Why is that?"

I graoned, "Because I am already late, and I need to be at hospital to pick up Sakura!" Kakashi snickered, but let me go.

Lately, we had been the talk of the town. That is Sakura and I, and I'm almost positive that Ino was the one to start the rumors of why I visit Sakura every day in the hospital.

While passing by a store, I noticed a mini-kimono that Sakura might like. Not to mention that the fetival celebrating the Fourth's birthday was tonight. I bought the ensemble in question for Sakura, and another for myself. At the hospital, I managed to get the personel to let me take Sakura out for the night.

I entered the room to find Sakura already in a bad mood that I wished not to worsen. Which, of course, I did. She seemed to lighten up as soon as I mentioned the present I got her. And, she had forgetten her anger as soon as told her we were going out tonight.

I knew it would take her some to change, so I locked the room's door and changed into my own outfit. As soon as she was done, we left for the festival. She had also managed to figure out how the hair sticks were supposed to go in, and stay in.

XXXXX

I smiled shyly at Sasuke as he complimented how I looked on our way to the festival. Even if we were a couple, i was still flattering to hear something like that directed towards mefrom the Uchiha. We continued on in silence, one question burning in my mind.

"Sasuke?"

"Yes, Sakura-_chan_?"

I blushed at the addition of the suffix, "Is this a date?"

He thought for a minute, as we went through the official entrance to the festival, "Yes, it is our first date."

I blushed again, and saw Naruto in the crowd. I looked at Sasuke, who seemed comfortable enough with him. Whether he was over the fact that Naruto had killed me or not, I didn't know. "Naruto!" I called and ran after him.

"Sakura, wait!" Cried Sasuke.

We caught up with Naruto, and complimented on how each other looked. Sasuke immediately clammed up, and it was just like before. Like before the chunnin exams, before. It was nice. I was caught up trying to get some emotion other than boredom out of Sasuke when Naruto dragged us to a stall for a group picture. He paid for three pictures, and he and I smiled while Sasuke faced slightly away from the camera.

_Snap! Snap! Snap!_

The man took three pictures almost simultaneously and handed us each one. After the three of us ate, Naruto ran off again to hang out with Hinata. Sasukeand I hung out for a little longer, before he took me back to the hospital.

XXXXX

At the hospital, I trailed behind Sakura a little. Naruto and I were leaving on another mission soon. When I say soon, I mean in like the next two days. Hard, yes, but it shouldn't take more than a week or so to complete. I was just worried about how Sakura would be while we were gone.

In the room, we changed and Sakura showered. I decided to tell her when she was done. She walked out of the bathroom in her pink summer pajamas with sheep on them.

"Sakura, I need to tell you something."

She immediately stopped brushing out her hair and turned to face me. "What is it?"

I took a deep breath, it's just a week-long mission, right? "The day after tomorrow, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, and I are going on a mission."

She let out a breath, "That's it?"

I nodded, "It'll take about a week."

She shrugged, and came over to sit behind me on the bed. "You're coming back, so it doesn't really matter, right?"

I nodded, "Right."

She smiled and kissed my cheek. Crawling under the blankents, she thanked me, "Thank you for taking me out, Sasuke-kun. I really apreciated it."

I smirked, "I'll have your picture from the festival framed,ok?"

"'Kay."

"I'll be back tomorrow, too."

She shot up, "You aren't staying the night here?"

I shook my head, "I wasn't planning on it, why?"

She blushed, "Because I'd kinda prefer it if you did."

I smirked again, "Sure." I grabbed an extra pillow and blanket, and set up my space on the floor.

"Y'know, you sleep in the bed."

I looked up at Sakura. Her expression was almost hopeful, and I understood that she was most likely spooked by something here. That, or she just wanted to spend more time with me before I left. "Alright, move over a little, Sakura." She did as I said, and I pulled her agaisnt my chest. We fell asleep like that, our group pisture sitting on the bedside table.

I'd never say it, but I actually liked the picture from that festival. Perhaps Naruto wasn't as airheaded as I thought when he got us that group picture.


End file.
